Roundabout

For the second time in the last two days I have faced with drivers who seem to ignore the golden rule that they must give priority to traffic from their immediate right.

They sped up and went into the roundabout despite the fact that I had the priority.

Needles to say, we as cyclists, must stay alert and expect those kind of motorists, especially at the roundabout.

b'Twin folding bike: a rather comprehensive review

I posted my initial impression of the b'Twin folding bike I have been riding in the last month or so.

Now I want to share with you my overall opinion.

First of all, the bike has seven speed with 20 inch tyre. Having 20 inch means I don't have problems after riding a road bike.

The bike feels normal just like any other bikes. Two other people who tried the bike drew the same conclusion.

It is solid, comfortable and can handle any type of roads with ease.

I like the flat handlebar which makes the bike feels more sporty.

I have to say the ride quality is spot on. In fact I do not expect to be that good.

As I said before you need a little bit of practice to fold the bike. It takes about a minute to fold so not that good compared to Bromptons where you can fold them in less than 20 seconds.

It is also quite large once you fold it. Again, do not compare with the Bromptons.

As you can see from the picture, the folded bike still occupy almost the whole part of the boot.

At about 14.7 kg it is also relatively heavy. I am not sure whether it is practical to fold, carry, and unfold it for your journey in daily basis.

If you don't need to fold and unfold the bike that often, it is obviously a sensible choice. At £200 it is absolutely a good value for money.

Note: my green b'Twin folding bike is unfortunately no longer on sale. Decathlon now offers almost the same specs at £400. The different is the new model has better handle bars and seat.

The best Christmas gifts for cyclists - in pictures

Some Christmas best-buys for your cycling-mad friend, brother, sister, dad or mum, selected by The Guardian. It covers gifts for budget concious people (like me) or for people who think money is not the issue.


Click here to read further...

More cyclists in town?

When the weather is not that friendly I sometimes leave my bike at home or just cycle to the station and catch a train central London. I noticed the other day I couldn't find a parking spot for my bike. It was still 06.40 in the morning however all the spots were taken. I wonder if more people in my area now prefer pedalling to driving to the station. And it is winter. It could be much more difficult to find parking spot in spring or summer...